9th February 2016

Intercessions for Lent 1 – Year C -series 2 – 14 February 2016

The Temptation of Christ, Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily via Wikimedia

The Collect

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26.1-11

Moses spoke to the people, saying: When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, ‘Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labour on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

Psalm: 91.1-2,9-16

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High ♦ and abides under the shadow of the Almighty,

Because you have made the Lord your refuge ♦ and the Most High your stronghold,

There shall no evil happen to you, ♦ neither shall any plague come near your tent.

For he shall give his angels charge over you, ♦ to keep you in all your ways.

They shall bear you in their hands, ♦ lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the lion and adder; ♦ the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

Because they have set their love upon me, therefore will I deliver them; ♦ I will lift them up, because they know my name.

They will call upon me and I will answer them; ♦ I am with them in trouble,I will deliver them and bring them to honour.

With long life will I satisfy them ♦ and show them my salvation.

Second Reading: Romans 10.8b-13

What does scripture say? ‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Gospel Reading: Luke 4.1-13

Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
The Lord is a great God, O that today you would listen to his voice.
Harden not your hearts.Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.”’ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up,so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Prayers of Intercession

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, you drive us once again into the desert as you challenge us to make a choice: a choice which is simple, but not necessarily easy. Give us, we pray, the clarity of insight to know the right path, the path that leads to your kingdom; and give us also the courage and the perseverance to reject the tempting well-worn tracks of habit, and the merely expedient.

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, open our eyes to the glory of your creation, as we open our hearts to you this Lent. Give us a clearer vision of your presence in and through all things, even in the troubled areas of the world which it seems can never know peace. Show us how to intervene in a way that will help, not make situations worse.

¶The local community

Lord, we thank you for the gift of community. Through our human companions we know the essence of living: warmth and laughter, quietness and sadness; who we are and who we could be. We thank you for the joy of sharing as we journey the pilgrim road together.

¶Those who suffer

Lord, in the midst of struggle and pain, we trust in your love that endures. Help us to bear one another’s burdens as courage moves us onwards and our faith trusts in the future. Companion on our journey, protector at our side, you comfort us with the assurance of your presence.

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we pray for your servants who are now with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

We bring before you………… May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers….

Prayer after Communion

Lord God,
you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven;
by it you nourish our faith,
increase our hope,
and strengthen our love:
teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread,
and enable us to live by every wordthat proceeds from out of your mouth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dear Laura, I too have been missing your intercessions which I frequently use as the basis for mine when it is my turn to lead in our church.I hadn’t realised your husband was so ill. I do hope and pray that he is improving and that you are finding the strength to cope.

So sorry to hear of your husband’s illness, Laura. We’ll have to manage without your full support until things are good for you again. Just know that you must be in the prayers of many because you are certainly loved. You have made a huge difference to my spiritual life by constantly pointing me in the right direction as I skid off-piste and giving me so much to ponder. Thank you so much. x

Very sorry indeed to hear of your troubles. I regularly use your intercession blog. I’m afraid I’m one of those users whom you don’t know of but who values your work very much. I’m sure lots of others do too. I do hope your husband gets well soon. God bless you both.

Dear Laura
Every blessing to you – I am so sorry to hear of your husband’s illness. I too have missed reading your intercessions and thoughts on the theme for the week. When writing intercessions they always gave me reassurance that I was on the right lines or indeed gave me key phrases so beautifully worded.

Your intercessions are a great blessing and each time i use them when i lead the intercessions in church i receive very positive comments from our congregation and some find a great deal of comfort from them. I will add you and your husband to our prayers Sunday morning. God bless Karin